The Houston Texans players suited up in full pads for a steamy Day 12 of Houston Texans Training Camp presented by Xfinity.
"I'm finding out about the Texas weather right now," head coach David Culley said. "When I came out of NRG [Stadium] this morning, my glasses fogged up."
It was the second consecutive padded practice this week and the last one open to spectators.
Several veteran players appeared to have a day off, including Jordan Akins and Bradley Roby. The team held 11-on-11, 7-on-7 and some team red zone work with just two more practice days before traveling to Green Bay in the Texans' first preseason game of 2021.
Culley was pleased with the progress the team made in the past few days, especially since Saturday night's practice when there were multiple pre-snap penalties on offense.
"I'll say that from the scrimmage coming into practice yesterday, I was so encouraged as a coach to see us, especially offensive, make progress from the standpoint of eliminating the penalties, our tempo being a little bit faster," Culley said. "That was so encouraging yesterday. It was the first time this Training Camp that I've seen that consistently from the start of practice to the end of practice, and it was the first time when I left practice and I said that's what I want to see."
Culley says he is looking forward to seeing the rookies play on Saturday in a game setting. Rookies are also looking forward to seeing their first NFL action.
"I'm just happy if I get to play on Saturday, kind of obviously go out there and show what I can do," Davis Mills said. "I'll have really talented players around me on the same team that I'm looking forward to going out there and playing with, and I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun."
Deshaun Watson was also suited up in full pads for a second day, but he did not participate in 7-on-7s or team drills.
Buddy Howell, activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, got some work in team offense drills.
Rookie defensive lineman Roy Lopez continued to impress with a tackle for loss early in practice.
A.J. Moore picked off a pass for a clean interception in team drills.
During 7-on-7 red zone drills, rookie wide receiver Nico Collins got plenty of work. Collins caught passes from Davis Mills and Tyrod Taylor. His reception from Taylor resulted in a touchdown to end the drive.
"I'm a big receiver, different from (Brandin) Cooks," Collins said. "He's a slot, shifty. We all can learn from receivers. It's a receiver thing. I take tips from him, like footwork, releases, and things like that. So there's always room to get better in my game. So I nitpick Cooks' brain, just small things all around to become a better receiver."
Rookie tight end Brevin Jordan says he has leaned on veterans in his position group as well, including players like Akins.
"He's showing me how to get a routine," Jordan said. "He's showing me a lot of different ways to get open, learning about blocking. He's brought me under his wing, and he's showing me like, this is how you do it. If you want to be great in this league, if you play in this league for a long time, this is how you're going to have to do it."
Jeff Driskel connected with tight end Kahale Warring on a touchdown pass.
In a team red zone period, Phillip Lindsay had a nice run to get the offense to the one-yard line. On the next play, Brandin Cooks caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Taylor.
Defensive lineman Derek Rivers snagged a takeaway on a ball that bounced out of the receiver's hands.
After practice, David Johnson practiced some moves with his daughter, a tiny, adorable cheerleader.
The Texans will return to the practice field on Wednesday for Texans Camp at the Houston Methodist Training Center. The team will travel to Green Bay this week for their first preseason game of 2021. Kickoff at Lambeau Field is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. CDT on ABC-13 and SportsRadio 610.
